Bill 5 Would End Endangered Species Protections and Attack Clean Energy

Press Release

Newly tabled bill is an attack on the public direct from the Trump Administration playbook

Statement by Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment program manager and Alienor Rougeot, Climate and Energy senior program manager

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Bill 5 would, if passed, deal a body blow to the environment and hopes for energy sovereignty in Ontario. It reads like an attempt to outdo even the most regressive policies and the most transparently false political pretexts of the Trump Administration. This Bill represents a direct attack on species at risk, clean and healthy communities, clean energy and the rights of Indigenous peoples.

These are exactly the values Premier Ford claimed he would protect when seeking re-election. Ontarians deserve better than broken promises and policies that threaten our environment, our communities and our future.

Phil Pothen, Ontario Environment program manager:

“Bill 5 would repeal Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007, marking the end of most meaningful provincial protections for endangered, threatened and special concern species in Ontario. The idea that this wholesale slaughter of endangered plants and animals might help ‘protect Ontario’ or ‘unleash’ the economy is farcical. Like the Greenbelt scandal, it’s an example of the government disguising unrelated favours to its ‘friends’ as part of a policy response to very real crises.”

Aliénor Rougeot, Climate and Energy senior program manager:

“It’s appalling that the government is exploiting U.S. threats to push an ideological agenda that could effectively ban solar energy in Ontario—driving up electricity bills and increasing pollution. This Act gives them the power to arbitrarily ban Chinese components in energy projects, shutting the door on clean, affordable energy just when Ontario needs it the most.”

If passed, Bill 5, will:

• keep Ontario dependent on imported fracked gas from the U.S. by killing homegrown renewable energy. It would enable the government to ban all parts of energy projects that come from abroad, especially China. China makes the majority of solar panels (over 80 per cent), wind turbines (around 60 per cent) and control systems in the world. If enacted, this will likely end solar power installation in Ontario and deprive Ontarians access to the cleanest source of new electricity available.
• repeal Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 marking the end of most meaningful provincial protections for endangered, threatened and special concern species in Ontario.
• attempt to curtail Indigenous involvement by ending archeological assessment requirements that would identify Indigenous or other cultural values.
• create Special Economic Zones (SEZ), where hand-picked developers can ignore municipal and provincial laws.
• exempt the Therme Group development at Ontario Place from the requirements of the Environmental Bill of Rights.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:

Carolyn Townend, Environmental Defence
media@environmentaldefence.ca

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